Greg Jowaisas

Trace, It will help you realize your best auction price if you determine your Jeffries is a duet or anglo. If you can do this before placing your auction information you can specify what kind of concertina it is and list it as such. It can save you a ton of email questions and possibly attract more serious bidders. If you cannot get to an Andy's would it be possible to play the instrument over the phone to one of our UK bretheren? They could probably give you the answer to whether it is a duet or anglo and perhaps what tuning and pitch (not all pitches were today's standard 440=A a hundred years ago) your instrument is in. These are all questions that serious bidders will ask. Best of luck on the auction! Greg PS. Yes, your Dad owes you a commission, if for no other reason than for your not using the Jeff as a football when you were a child!

This one might be a Tidder, Neil. Here are some links from google which usually come back to cnet. http://www.google.com/custom?domains=Conce...A1%3B&hl=en I've seen 20b Tidders, english Tidders, double reeded!! Tidders, and 30b suspected Tidders. In my experience they are a bit better crafted than the equivilent Lachenals but not appreciably better players. Greg

I think it also depends on what an ec player or any musician wants to learn. If you are looking for an intense experience with one of the world's leading proponants of Irish traditional music then Noel fits the bill whether you play anglo or not. Aside from his mastery of the Irish anglo Noel is a consumate musician. His timing is impeccable, fast or slow. He brings 40 years of nuance from playing with several generations of Irish traditional musicians, many of whom were the leading proponants of their instruments. His knowledge of Irish traditional music and its context in history is encyclopedic. He has been a teacher for decades and knows how to dissect and slow things down to bring ornamentation and technique to within a student's grasp. His dedication and commitment are inspirational. Attendees become immersed in tunes and technique but there is a lot of other learning going on at a Noel Hill Camp. I was a member of one of Noel's classes that included an ec player. He was attentive to the differences in concertinas and flexible in suggesting ornaments that best fit the instrument. In the final analysis I think good music is simply good playing and understanding of a genre. I think Noel's goal is to make us all better player's of good music. Greg PS. I play english concertina too and learning anglo and attending Noel's classes has helped tightened up my ec technique in general and given me a much better feel for expressing Irish music on the instrument.

Bob, Five postings down from yours is this one: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=6028 Have you contacted them? Greg

Eaomaoile, There is a phone # for Micheal O Raghallaigh on his latest cd, "Inside Out". You might try that. Perhaps the whole Dublin band of concertina sellers and repairers piled their instruments and tools in a tinker's wagon and made for Co. Claire? And who's to say that you shouldn't follow the music and "Head West Along the Road"? Persist, we'll keep trying to help. Greg

Hello eomaoile, Welcome to cnet.! Here is a link to Concertina FAQ which has a list of concertina repairers. You'll find the address and phone # you are looking for under Stephen Chambers/Michael O Raghallaigh http://www.concertina.info/tina.faq/conc-mak.htm Best of luck in your concertina adventures! Greg

Paperpunchr, Epoxy might work but if anything goes wrong there is practically no going back. As a result he next owner or repairer may not be able to bring a 125 year old instrument back to life after a permanent repair gone bad. Why not use a time tested reversable glue. If the worst case happens and your newly positioned action board breaks or warps your sound (pad) board then you could apply heat and remove, reset or replace it. With epoxy you probably have none of these options. Many repairers swear by granular hide glue. Violin repairers use it because it dries strong but loosens fairly easily with heat without taking wood with it. White glue can also be undone with heat but is more stubborn and can lift wood with it. Yellow or carpenters glue has another level of permanancy and then it is on to the resourcinals and epoxys which are fairly waterproof and pemanent. Super glue has its uses but generally should be avoided in wood repairs. Action board warp is common among older, less expensive concertinas. Unless the warp inhibits the action arms or actively flexes with the button and arm action it is probably best left alone. The toughest part of regluing an action board is having the proper clamps to apply good pressure. The clamps should press the action board to a flat surface during gluing and setting up. There is a chance the sound board may warp and "benching" will be necessary where the glue is warmed, loosened and allowed to reset with the sound board clamped flat. Dave Elliott's repair manual is an excellent resource and searching and reading the posts in the construction and repair section of cnet will yield valuable repair and maintenance information. If you get stuck or in over your head please remember I do repairs, but in many cases I can't undo an epoxy repair. Best of luck! Greg

Hello Paperpunchr, If you scan the topics in this forum you will come across painful wrists, aching elbows and assorted repetitive stress disorders. This is not unique to the concertina and it is worth googling musician health sites to gain some perspective into the pains and gains of playing instruments in general. Here are a few things I've learned: Everyone has a different body. What predispositions for injury you bring to the concertina or another instrument may share symptoms with me or someone else but have a unique cause. Pain or uncomfortableness is often a warning. Stop what you are doing and evaluate. Seek professional advice from a physician "atuned" to musician's problems. Physical therapy can help and physical therapists have likely seen many cases and devised many stategies for recovery. There are individual physical limits to practicing. MOST important!: There are no shortcuts to building support musculature and establishing good technique. It all takes time! I experienced painful symptoms in my left little finger. (Gee! I wonder if it was practicing for hours at a time on tunes that used "the triangle" of the pinkie, ring, and middle!?) After 35 years of playing strings with no major problems it scared me to death! Took 3 weeks to get to see a hand specialist. Took two more weeks to get a nerve test. Took two more weeks to see the hand specialist again who had forgetten me in the meantime. By then I had pretty much figured out I was aggrevating my pre-existing arthritis. The hand specialist was not much help. The physical therapists that I got to see helped a great deal however. Advice: Don't ignore the pain. Be patient. Take the long steady road toward improved playing. Get professional and specific help if the pain persists. Have fun! I wish you well, Greg

Wim's group does excellent work. It might also be worth contacting Andy Norman in Sussex. His site has pictures of an Edeo restoration. http://www.acnorman.co.uk/ Regardless of who does the repair, make sure you thoroughly discuss the repair time frame. Quality repairs do take time. A shop's emphasis (making their own instruments) and previous commitments (A long queue of repairs) can influence when you may get your instrument back. Clear communication can help avoid misunderstanding and disappointment. The good news is that there are quality craftspeople out there that can restore your instrument to its former glory. Good luck, Greg

Lucy, Good people! Great box! Smart choice! Enjoy, practice and prosper! Greg

Of the relatively light and elite concertinas I would recommend a Carroll. Lot's of quality volume and at 2.8 pounds (1270 grams) a reasonable weight. However, 30 buttons is standard and the other "wait" in this case is 3 or 4 years! I'll throw my hat in the ring for a light weight rosewood Lachenal. As a soon to be 57 year old I am a living witness to a body's physical changes. In some cases all you can do is step back and listen attentively. Activities that we once dove right into and took for granted suddenly require warming up or stretching. Playing all night dances and shrugging the effects off the next morning might now require a recovery day or two. And playing through pain is hardly ever a great idea. Lighter may help but a trip to the doctor and physical therapist could accelerate a speedy recovery. My sympathies. It has taken 9 months for the tendonitis to abate in the top of my forearm. (The injury occured in the gym as a result of not switching to a lighter weight. Of course I was using the cable machine to strengthen concertina muscles!) Moderation and listen to that Jody Body. It is singing to you. Regards and hopes for a speedy recovery, Greg

Bill, I'm not sure if ignorance is really bliss but a baritone Aeola would be heaven! (And I hope your t/t is the next best thing and offers some consolation.) Greg

Bill, #30365 is a model 20A Wheatstone which I believe makes it an extended baritone. Yes, one has to wonder. As fancy as the the older Wheatstone was, $4000.00 USD or 2000 GBP is a lot of money. Of the two. I also would have rather had the Aeola baritone. Greg

Here is the thread that I was citing in regards to using the bellows and concertina efficiently. http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php...amp;#entry52094 The thread starts with comments on the Edel Fox video but perhaps some of us were not paying close enough attention to Edel's efficient playing! (Lovely lass; Great player!) About four posts down is Dana Johnson's explanation of why keeping the bellows tight is more effecient. Greg

Yes, Dirge, Better, sharper minds than mine have said as much in this forum. I believe the reference was in regard to Irish music and Dana Johnson explained that a change in bellows direction was much more effecient in supplying air pressure to a reed and affecting its response if the the bellows were less extended. If I remember correctly it has to do with the amount of movement necessary to regain air pressure in a bellows change. The more extended the bellows the greater the distance to repressurize going the other way. Now in the case of your duet, Dirge, the bellows direction is not as critical. But doesn't it feel more "under control" to be playing a compact concertina rather than one towards the limits of its extension? At Noel Hill school we are encouraged to keep our playing in the closed to half open bellows range. Feels quicker to me! And some of the deeper thinkers here seem to agree. I'll try and find that thread later this evening. Greg

Ragtimer, I work primarilly with vintage instruments. In my experience bellows that have a "memory" for being open are much more difficult to squeeze close. In some cases this renders the last inch of contraction difficult to unusable for practical playing. Since a concertina performs better when the bellows are less than half open you are in effect giving away 30% of your best playing area. I think the really critical time to impart a closed "memory to the bellows is in the first six months or break in period of an instrument. When I got my new Carroll the bellows needed to be broken in. Their natural inclination was to remain open an extra inch from full compression. As the bellows played in I religiously kept it in its blocked case when not in use. Over 3 or 4 months the bellows developed a memory and a tendency to stay closed at rest. I don't worry about keeping it out for hours at a time now that the bellows are "trained" but I still keep it stored in its blocked case when not in use. Why not do the little extra to give your concertina its best chance to perform at its full potential? Just one repairperson's opinion. (But I feel in good company if someone as august as Geoff Crabb has a similar recommendation!) Greg

I agree with Geoff that "bellows creep" can be a problem and that an instrument should be left in a properly blocked case as much as possible. I have several vintage concertinas which came to me with the "creep". It remains uncertain whether I can help them recover fully. For those who want their instruments accessible perhaps putting them back in the case but leaving the case lid open would be a viable compromise. The instrument would still have bellows compression and some added protection but not be out of sight and mind. Greg

Gorgeous work! And I bet it sounds great and plays like a dream. Would another picture or two be asking too much Geoff? Thank you for sharing your artistry and family craft. (Or is it family Crabb?) Greg

I think the only thing holding the concertina back from greater popularity is a lack of accessible, affordable, dependable instruments. The Jackie and Rochelle fill in those gaps pretty well. Are they perfect? No. But they offer a much more dependable alternative to the cheaply made, frustrating chinese boxes and they are more in line concerning cost with other entry level instruments. As Tallship pointed out, by the time a beginner begins to notice missing notes or yearn for a more responsive, easier to play instrument they will be more willing to make the financial commitment necessary for a better instrument. And yes, Wim's trade in offer is an excellent option. I feel the Jackie and Rochelle are great for the concertina community and should not disappoint unless you ask what they are not designed to do. Greg

Please have him produce additional pictures of specific requested parts before committing money to this"bargain". Greg

I believe the original listing was some time ago - A year or more? The split sound board and rusty reeds jogged my memory. Full Stop!! Proceed with caution!! That would be my heading. Greg

McIsog, I would characterize the discussion on the merits of aluminum vs. brass shoes as inconclusive. Vintage instument advocates certainly like brass shoes and I've heard "warmer" used in describing their sound. No less a personage than Geoff Crabb maintains there is no appreciable difference in sound and aluminum has the advantage in weighing significantly less than brass. Personally I lean toward brass shoes but i have heard outstanding instruments using both materials. Construction quality, materials and inexpert repair and maintenance may contribute to the 1950s Wheatstone anglos' uneven reputation. As with any instrument the final evaluation has to be done on an individual basis. Greg

The Wheatstone price lists are a good source of what was available and the range of notes on each instrument. http://www.concertina.com/pricelists/wheat...t-Eng-c1915.pdf There are also 60 and 64 button arrangements to contend with. I'm not sure which direction (or both!) that the extra notes might have encompassed. The price lists also mention bass and double bass concertinas! Someone who is more familiar with the bass cleft will have to help here. Greg

I want to be fair. The 30b 1950s wheatstone that I had was a decent box. It played well. It was loud enough if a trifle strident. I paid about $2100. for it in 2003 and felt it was worth it. I have seen and played a few others of the same period that were not as nice and one had compromised bellows. I would attribute that to care and not the manufacturer. I think a consensus is growing that Wheatstones from this period have to be judged on their individual merits. Which is another reason why you pay extra to a seller or dealer with a good reputation. I'm just astounded that someone would pay that much without researching a bit deeper than just the Wheatstone name. But then I don't frequent gambling casinos either. Roll those eBay dice! Greg

Yes, I am beginning to repeat myself. This one just sold at $4800.+ http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...p;rd=1&rd=1 Am I missing something or has the market turned a corner? (Or two or three!) Two years ago these were selling in the $2000. to $2500. range. Again, not a bad box but most likely not classic Wheatstone construction (probably crimped reeds and screw down shoes). Why not take a chance on the Jones the same seller has for sale and save $1800.? http://cgi.ebay.com/old-restored-George-Jo...1QQcmdZViewItem Please someone explain before they come and take me away! Greg